Page 20 of Want to Know a Secret?

There isn’t a trace of sympathy on Julie’s face. “If you insist on disrupting our meeting, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

The woman smiles—she thinks it’s a joke. The smile fades from her face when she realizes Julie is one hundred percent serious. “Oh, well, I’ll just be another minute…”

“No.” Julie’s dark eyes are like ice. “You should leave. And you can come back after you’ve dealt with your personal issues.”

“But I—” The woman looks wildly around the room, like she thinks somebody might stand up for her and point out how ridiculous this is. When she realizes that’s not going to happen, her shoulders sag. “All right.”

We all watch as the woman does the walk of shame out of the library. She mumbles something under her breath, but lucky for her, she doesn’t say it out loud.

Chapter 9

Comment on April’s Sweet Secrets YouTube video:

You can see April’s dark roots showing. Her hair is a lie. Just like everything else about her.

I never thought I would be a soccer mom, but that’s what I am.

It’s not as big a deal as you think. At the second grade level, soccer is not that intense. We meet every Saturday morning at eight at the middle school athletic field (parking is extremely competitive). The kids practice for thirty minutes while the parents gossip, then they play for another thirty minutes against another team while the parents cheer them on.

Bobby is on the uncreatively named Team B, which is coached by Mark Tanner, who is fortunately much more pleasant than his wife, Kathy. Mark coached Bobby’s team last year too and did an amazing job, so I was pretty excited to have him again. And I was so sure I could convince Mark to let Owen Cooper join the team that I told Maria to bring him this morning.

Julie’s son, Leo, is also on Team B, which I don’t think is any coincidence. Sometimes we trade off who brings the boys to soccer, especially when the weather gets nippy. Okay, it’s not so much a trade-off as Julie asks me to bring both boys in. But I don’t mind. I like to watch Bobby play.

Bobby is less than excited to be here. He was moaning when I dragged him out of bed and wasn’t thrilled about putting on his shin guards and his knee-length soccer socks. Yes, I had to buy soccer socks. They’re like regular socks, but more… soccer-y? I don’t know—I just buy what they tell me. Anyway, he usually has a great time playing, even though it’s hard to get him here.

“What’s with the Tupperware?” Julie asks as she looks down at the plastic tub in my hand.

“Oh!” I shake the Tupperware container. “I made cookies for Mark. I’m hoping he’ll let Owen Cooper join the team, even though it’s after registration.”

Julie mumbles something skeptical under her breath, but I make the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. Nobody can say no to my cookies. Ever. Here’s my secret in case you missed the episode: I use two tablespoons of milk powder, which makes the cookies extra chewy. Oh, and a sprinkling of sea salt on top. But I think everything can benefit from a sprinkling of sea salt. I tell my viewers that they need to throw away their regular salt and only use sea salt. Toss it in the trash right now! I told them on one episode, then I stood there and waited patiently for them to throw away the salt.

I see Maria heading down on the field with Sean and Owen just behind her. I guess the whole family decided to come. Gosh, I hope Mark says yes. I would hate to disappoint them.

Maria waves to me and sprints the rest of the way over to join us. “Did you talk to the coach yet?”

“Not yet,” I say. “I wanted to wait until you got here.” I hold up the Tupperware. “But I brought cookies.”

Maria looks just as skeptical as Julie did, but she’s never tried my cookies.

Now that she’s here, I stride across the field to where Mark is talking to another parent. Mark has been coaching soccer for years. He’s in his mid-forties with mostly silver hair and light blue eyes that crinkle when he smiles. When he sees me, he gives me that eye-crinkle.

“April!” he says. “Are those for me? Dare I hope?”

I hold out the Tupperware for him. “I made them with just a touch of sea salt on top. Like you like them.”

“Yum.”

I glance over at the Cooper family, waiting anxiously at the sidelines. “I was wondering if I could ask for a favor, Mark.”

His brows bunch together. “Yes…?”

“My friend Maria’s son Owen is an incredible soccer player.” Well, I assume so. “But they just moved here and were too late to register for soccer. I was just wondering if he could join Team B.”

Mark hesitates. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to…”

“I know,” I say quickly. “But maybe he could be on the team… you know, unofficially. He could step in for kids who are out sick. You know as the weather gets colder, there are more and more no-shows.”

“Right.” Mark is nodding as he looks over at Owen Cooper. “Well, let’s see how things go today. I think it should be okay, unless some of the other parents complain.”